storing outboard in car?

[mrdrh99]

Anyone like me who just keeps everything in their car since I'm getting 1 or 2 outings a week? I keep the boat bagged in the den and just wheel it out and strap it and the gas tank to my hitch haul. Everything else stays in my blazer... Including my outboard, which stays laying on its front side down in the back. Is there anything wrong with that? Maybe a silly question since it's running good

 

[Sinistre1]

I happen to know you are not alone at least half of the Jamaica Bay crew does similarly in some form or fashion. I for one, keep boat, motor and accessories in my van.. trading out for seat space on an as needed basis. Such is the life of a bachelor. Lol.

 

[mrdrh99]

Good to know.... I am married with kids but wife drives the family car!

 

[Sea Rider]

Do you guys run fuel carb dry prior storing engine as to avoid unwated carb fuel spills and odor inside car ?

Happy Boating

 

[mrdrh99]

I have read that you shouldn't let it sit dry for more than a couple days unless prepared to store for winter..... Am I wrong on that? I keep it on a tarp to catch any leaks and the odor is there for a day or so but nothing I can't handle

 

[Peter_C]

I found a trailer to be perfect for leaving the boat ready to go, with the outboard mounted on the transom Personally I wouldn't want the fuel smell inside the vehicle. If you don't want a full sized boat trailer, what about leaving it on a small trailer folded up? http://t.harborfreight.com/1090-lb-...-12-inch-four-lug-wheels-and-tires-90153.html

 

[ronaldj]

My boat and outboard live in my car. Since I'm using propane I don't have to worry about the gas smell or fouling the carb. It was the very reason I switched to propane

 

[Sea Rider]

I have read that you shouldn't let it sit dry for more than a couple days unless prepared to store for winter..... Am I wrong on that? I keep it on a tarp to catch any leaks and the odor is there for a day or so but nothing I can't handle

Ronald, what are the cons you have read about the issue that you shouldn't let it sit dry for more than a couple days unless prepared to store for winter ?

Happy Boating

 

[Guest]

my car smells like gasoline 24/7. I hate it but the price to pay for owning a portable in nyc

 

[mrdrh99]

Ronald, what are the cons you have read about the issue that you shouldn't let it sit dry for more than a couple days unless prepared to store for winter ? Happy Boating

That was me.... However, I read the two issues could be be the seals/gaskets drying out in the carb and other would be carb gumming up. Main reason being that cars get very hot in the summer which could speed up these issues

 

[fbpooler]

Motors come from the factory to the dealer dry with no oil or gasoline in them. The thinking that gaskets may dry up is really a stretch, as modern elastomers will rot over a period of many years, not a few months in storage.

Fuel left in a carb can gum it up over time, but if the motor is run dry, there is no fuel in the jets to cause this condition.

A four stroke has to be in a certain position to prevent loss of crankcase oil. If this procedure is followed, there are no bad effects from storing in that position, but storing in the vertical would be preferable.

I would say that the worst thing is that anytime a bearing is subjected to vibration, there is damage. That is naturally going to take place with the motor constantly being in a moving auto. In factories, the shafts of spare motors are rotated periodically to prevent bearing damage from vibrations which cause failures.

I would have no problem with storing a motor in a car as long as the fuel was not allowed to sit in the carbs or any other place that gum could harm the motor.

 

[ronaldj]

The issue is actually the gas blend that is in most of the gas on the east coast. It is the ethanol which is causing the problems. This affects 4 stroke engines 15 hp and below. Using Premium gas helps a grate deal

 

[Sea Rider]

Some issues :

Not all engines are factoty delivered with dry gear boxes and fuel filters, at least Tohatsu doesn't so. When out of the box at dealer you have to remove internal fuel filter and dump existing deliveredd fuel used for testing at factory, Usually is stale fuel which you don't want to start your new engine with.

One issue about leaving E fuels on carb & fuel pump is that E is very mean with thin rubber parts like o'rings and specially with thin diaphragms, will end ballooning deforming them faster than leaving carb dry. Not an issue with non E fuels.

Have been transporting 2 strokes portable engines for years and have not seen bearing damage due to highway vibration, bearings should have 0 play. If with play after years of use or improper fuel/oil mixture will hear a rattle like sound at wot, time to change all internal bearings.

You should run your engine periodically to maintain all internal components well lubed if not going for a permanent storage when off season. I'm a big fan of runing carb dry after each outing untill engine drops dead, take advantage to do so while engine is being flushed.

Happy Boating

 

[ronaldj]

Sea Rider The thing that makes me angry about E fuels is the mfg don't seem to care. An entire cottage industry has been created to repair and rebuild E fuel motors. Either the rubber or the E Fuel could have been corrected to keep these problems from happening

 

[fbpooler]

Thank Congress and the ones who pushed through the alcohol mess. The producers hands are tied.

You would not want to pay for the elastomer compound which is impervious to alcohol, oil, heat, combustion byproducts, and fuel. Attacking seals is but one of the problems caused by alcohol. Welcome to the green world where nothing else matters. A standard material O-ring which sell for a dollar or two would cost over $100 in that magic compound. I have sold a small box of those for more than your motor cost.

Bearings, seals, and elastomers were how I made my living, and I have dial indicated more bearing frames over the years than you would believe. There is always play in a bearing assembly, but it is small. If you can feel the play, the bearing is not long for the world. Now let vibration or lack of lubrication cause a pit in a bearing and it will destroy itself in use by transferring pits inside the bearing. The worst culprit we deal with now are trailer wheel bearings which sit up for months at a time. Due to hardness requirements, bearings are not made of stainless materials as a general rule and a fingerprint can ruin one. They are protected by a thin film of lubricant normally and maintaining the lube is exceedingly important. Alcohol really helps - not.

 

[mrdrh99]

I have 2 gas stations in town that sell ethanol free gas and that's all I use in my outboard.... And it's a hell of a lot cheaper than at the marinas down on the coast!

 

[fbpooler]

Same here, as we do not need the problems caused by ethanol.

Cost me a bundle to get rid of old gasohol in the built in tank of my last boat, but when it stratifies, bad things happen. It will not go back in suspension and you end up with gas with little octane on top and water on the bottom of a tank.